Car-track sweeper



QEQSHREV GAR TRACK SWEEPEB.

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" 110.400,.497. Patented Apr. 2, 1889;

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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- C. E. SHREVE.

GAR TRACK SWEEPER.

No, 1100;497. Patented Apr. 2,1889.

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351 awnqg U ITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SHREVE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-TRACK SWEE PER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,497, dated April 2,1889.

' Application filed NovemberlS, 1888. Serial No. 290,664. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SHREVE, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car-Track Sweepers, of which .the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to furnish a track-sweeper which willquickly and thoroughly clean railwaytracks, particularly street-cartracks, in cold and wet weather,

when the accumulations, of ice, snow, sleet, and mud makethe managementof a car' and its retention on the tracks extremely difficult,substantially as hereinafter fully described, and as illustrated inthedrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a street-cartruck, showing my improved track-sweeper applied thereto. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section taken on line :20 a, Fig. 1;.and Fig. 3 isan underneath view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, there will be observed a car-truckconsisting, briefly speaking, of a rectangular oblong platform,A,supported above the wheel a d and axles B by suitable running-gear, inwhich said axles are journaled. So far as my invention is concerned itmakes little diiference what the I particular features of the car-truckare, so

long as they possess the common attributes thereof.

Loosely journaled on one of the axles, next the inner sides of thewheels thereof, and extending parallel therefrom an equal distancetoward and under the center of length of platform A, are the links orreaches 1) b.

' These links 17 havejournaled in suitable bearing in their extremitiesthe transverse shaft C, the ends of which extend through their hearingsto a point immediately over the outer sides of the tracks, (upon whichwheels a a roll,) where they are provided with circular brushes 0 0-,which revolve therewith, and when lowered sufficiently sweep the tracks.

Shaft Cis revolved through the medium ofa gear, (1, which is made fastto the axle B next the inner side of one of the links. This gear dengages a smaller gear, 9, revolving loosely on a suitable studprojecting incontact with the track opposing the direction the truck ismoving.

In order to lower and raise the brushes so that they will just graze thetracks, or entirely clear them, as desired, I secure in eyes I) b in theextremities of the links I) (which extend slightly beyond the bearingsof brushshaft C) the chains or cables 9 g, which pass up throughsuitable openings in platform A, and are secured to the circumference ofthe wheels D D, fast on the transverseshaft E. Shaft E is journaled insuitable bearings, h, on eitherside of the truck, and about its centeroflength it has made fast to it a wormgear, F, which is engaged by theworm G on the longitudinal shaft G, suitably journaled in posts 10 7c,and having on its ends beveled gear m m, which are engaged by similarbevels on the vertical shafts H H.

The vertical shafts are suitably journaled in heel-plates on theplat-form and in suitable braces, as shown, and are turned by means of aremovable handle, K, similar in construction to those used'by thedrivers of street-cars on the brake-shaft.

The means just described for raising and lowering the brushes 0 renderit an easy matter for the driver to regulate them, no matter in whichdirection the truck is moving. Simpler means could be usedas, forinstance, a vertical shaft, N, having a worm thereon which engages theworm-gear F, or a chain could be used in place of cables g, the links ofwhich could be'caught over suitable hooks on the platform.

Instead of the series of gear to impart the motion of the axle B toshaft C, a crossed link belt run on sprocketewheels on the axle andshaft C could be used. I prefer the gear hereinbefore described,however. 7 g

The rails of horse street-car tracks are inner surface of the same.

In order to deflect the sweeping of the rapidly-revolving brushesoutside of the track, I secure, by means of suitable straps and stayroddepending from the platform A, the shields n n. The central part ofthese shields is hung so that, passing under the brush-shaft, it isparallel to the rail and next the inner side of the brush. Its ends passobliquely outward across the rail between the brush and the front andrear wheels, B B, on the same plane as said brush. Thus, no matter inwhich direction the truck; is moving, the sweepings thrown off the railsby the brushes are deflected and deposited outside the track.

My improved track-sweeper possesses the facility of being as equallyapplicable to an old and thrown-aside street-car truck as to a new truckmade especially for it.

What I claim is- 1. In a track-sweeper, the combination, with acar-truck consisting of the usual platform, running-gear, wheels, andaxles, of the links I), loosely j ournaled on one of said axles, shaft0, journaled in extremities of said links, said axle and shaft extendingentirely across the machine, and the axle carrying two of thecarrying-wheels fast upon the same, and the shaft actuated therefrom,circular brushes 0 on the extremities of said shaft, whose peripheriesare greater in diameter next their inner edges than next their outeredges, and devices for suspending the outer ends of said links, in whichshaft 0 is journaled.

2. In a track-sweeper, the combination, with a car-truck consisting ofthe usual platform, running-gear, wheels, and axles, of the links I),loosely journaled on one of said axles, transverse shaft C, j on rnaledin suitable bearings in the ends of said links, a train of gear forimparting the motion of the axles to said shaft, brushes 0 c on theextremities of said shaft, and cables g g, connected to the ends of saidlinks extending beyond the bearing of shaft C, as set forth.

3. The combination, in a streetcar-track sweeper, of the truckconsisting of the usual platform, running-gear, axles, and wheels, ofthe links I) b, loosely journaled on one of said axles and extendingparallel to each other a corresponding distance to and under the cen terof length of said truck, shaft 0, journaled in the end of said links,brushes 0 0, having the outer part of their peripheries less in diameterthan the inner part thereof, said shaft and brushes being actuatedthrough the medium of said axle, and cables 9, for suspending the endsof the links in which shaft 0 is journaled.

4. The combination, with a street-car truck consisting of the usualplatform, runninggear, and axles and wheels, of the links I), looselyjournaled on one of said axles, shaft (J, journaled in the freeextremities thereof, brushes 0 c on the ends of said shaft, cables g g,for suspending said free ends of thelinks, wheels D D, shaft E,worm-gear F, and worm G, as set forth.

5. The combination, with a st reet-car truck consisting of the usualplatform, runninggear, axles, and wheels, of the links I), shaftjournaled in the free ends of said links, brushes 0 c on the ends ofsaid shaft 0, cables g g, for suspending the free ends of said links,wheels D D, shaft E, worm-gear F, worm G, longitudinal shaft G, verticalshafts H, and bevel-gear for connecting said vertical and longitudinalshafts. 1

6. The combination, with a car-truck consisting of the usual platform,running-gear, axles, and wheels, of the links I), loosely journaled onone of said axles, shaft G, journaled in the end of said links, gear cl,fast on said axle, pinion f, fast on said shaft in alignment with geard, and intermediate idle-gear, e and c, for connecting gear (I withpinion f, brushes 0 c on the ends of shaft 0, having a steppedperiphery, and cables g, for suspending the free ends of said links.

7. The combination, with a street-car truck consisting of the usualplatform, runninggear, axles, and wheels, of the links I), shaft 0, gearfor imparting the motion of said axle to said shaft, brushes 0 c on theends of said shaft, having a stepped periphery, and cables g, forsuspending said links I), and shields n, as described, interposedobliquely across the tracks, said truck moving on in front of each brush0 and between them and the wheels on corresponding sides, as set forth.

CHARLES E. SHREVE.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK D. THOMASON, PORTER B. COOLIDGE.

